In the upper floor of The Mystic Path, Madam Aspen works telling fortunes, but she has the night off for Samhain. Something isn't right though and with it being Halloween, the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. Looks like the cat is the only one around to see the goings on.
The basic construction of this floor is complete. Now all I have to do is work on accessories and finalizing it.
I am really pondering something and I think I need y'all input on this. I just can't decide on my own. I'm considering putting a very faint face in the crystal ball. I'm thinking it would be cool and not something that you would notice right away. You would have to be looking right into the crystal ball to see it. If you have ever ridden The Haunted Mansion at a Disney park, you have an idea of what I'm talking about. It would be easy enough to accomplish. Thoughts?? I'm also considering putting the cat on the chair looking up onto the table instead of on the floor.
OK...enough chatter. Here are some pics for you.
Till later!
I don't usually leave comments on others blogs unless they're friends or unless I have something nice to say, but since you asked for input...
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if it's just a dark photograph or if the room is as dark as it appears, but it's very hard to see the cat. I was going to answer that I couldn't see him at all, but then I saw his tail and realized he was hiding in the dark curtains.
LIkewise, with the dark table and chairs in front a dark...is that a breakfront?... I can't even tell that there are chairs. If you put the cat there he's going to be lost.
The only things I can see in that room are the light, crystal ball, candles, wallpaper and a dark rectangle that starts two thirds of the way down the back wall and carries through to the bottom of the photo. If this were my project I'd either eliminate the rug or put in a lighter colored rug to better show the furniture. Or...perhaps if you draw the middle of the curtains back enough light will fall through from the other room.
I wouldn't mess with the crystal ball, I think it's fantastic as is. The swirls of color in it...I see yellow, green, gray and pink...it looks like there is a figure floating in it. It's mesmerizing...I like it.
Dale, I know what you mean by the face in the crystal ball at the Haunted Mansion. While I think it is a cool idea, I don't know if it would be appreciated by most viewers. I think the ball is great lighted that way it is! However, if it is something you want to do, then go for it.
ReplyDeleteHaving the cat at the chair staring at the crystal ball would make more of a statement, storywise, if you know what I mean. You already have a bit of a story going so building on that would make sense. The viewer asks "what does the cat see?" That would also make the cat more visible as he/she is hidden in the curtains.
The photographs of the rooms are a tad dark but I'm guessing they are lighter in real life. You could consider some general illumination in the form of a light bar or hidden light that you painted yellow or orange. I've used a similar thing in a dungeon I did where I felt it needed to be dark to create the mood but just not too dark. I usually refer to stage lighting techniques for answers. It's all an illusion after all...
BTW...welcome back to Blogland.
Wonderfully SPOOKY! I Love the sense that SOMETHING is either just about to happen... or Just HAS happened..... I agree with the others that the cat is too hidden where it is... at least as the photos show! I know how hard it is to photograph the Dark Moody feel of a place... I have that problem a LOT with my Castle dollhouse!
ReplyDeleteMaybe the curtain should be "blowing in the wind"?
I think the face in the crystal ball would be super cool... yes it would be missed by most viewers.... but YOU would know it was there.....!
Keep up the great work!
Thanks everyone for the great comments! Constructive critism is the very best kind and I realize now that the pictures are much darker than I thought. On my computer they aren't as dark, but I have to admit photographing this roombox has been a challenge from the very beginning. When the room is darker, the camera seems to focus on the lights since they are the bright items in the room. I wish I could capture the different colors of the stained glass in the ceiling fixture, but the camera washes it out and turns it bright and yellow. LOL Such fun!
ReplyDeleteBecause the shop is supposed to be closed up for the night, lighting is at a minimum and I'm relying a great deal on light from outside the box to bleed in for a better view. I have keep the wattage very low for this very reason. I love a roombox that allows you to mentally get inside and look around. I like small hidden things that aren't visible right away and that is another reason I have kept the lights low.
With the cat on the floor, he is actually easier to see against the wooden floor as opposed to in the chair where he is surrounded by more dark.
I'm hoping once I get more accessories in the room and there is a bit more for light to bounce around on, it will lighten up a bit.
Thanks again everyone! Great to be back working on this project again.